Special Collections Research Center

This pathfinder compiles a compilation of resources available on Cherokee Folklore, as documented from the eighteenth century to the present. The focus on this research is not only on the oral story-telling tradition among the Cherokees, but includes topics such as Cherokee dances, ceremony, music, and artistry. After the Removal of the Cherokees from their original homelands in 1838, the Cherokees became fragmented as a people, which eventually led to the formation of three distinct Cherokee groups: the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (residing on the Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina), the Cherokee Nation (based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma), and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees (also based in the Oklahoma region). Due to the existence of these separate Cherokee groups, I have made efforts to include Cherokee folklore sources that have emerged prior to removal, as well as post-removal.

As previously noted, the sources provided hereafter include many areas that fall under the “folklore” heading. The listed materials are compiled and designed to give the preliminary researcher an overview of the topic, and a base on which to proceed with further study. The following materials are located in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection at Appalachian State University.